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Call me Batman, Mummy

Most mums and dads would have strong memories of playing schools, mummies and daddies and hospitals when they were little. Role play is a pivotal part of a child’s development, say early childhood experts.

Role play is where a child gets into character and acts out this role – usually a whole session of play is built around it. Often, it will involve dress ups and props.

Showing how important it is in early childhood development, most childcare centres will have areas dedicated to role play – it might be a 'home corner' or a 'teddy hospital' – and extensive collections of dress-ups.

Directed by kids

The key to everyone enjoying role-play, says Sonja Walker*, director at Kids First Children's Services, is for it to be predominantly child-led. “Sure, parents can provide boundaries but the adult role can be one of encouraging children to explore and describe the environment and setting of this role play,” she says.

Like with all areas of imaginative play, role play teaches problem solving and, if playing with friends or siblings, social skills like cooperation and conflict resolution. It’s not always smoothing sailing when four-year-old Batman decides to take up residence in his peers’ fairy corner.

The big bonus of role play it that it encourages children to become active participants in their learning while also learning how to put themselves in someone else’s shoes. Learning to understand how others feel can help them learn empathy and to be thoughtful and considerate. “Role play helps children make sense of the world around them,” Sonja says. “It also can help them understand what they may have heard in stories or watched in movies.”

How parents can inspire role play

Parents, she says, can encourage this sort of play several ways:

By helping them set up cubby houses or a themed area.

Providing the tools of the role-play trade like dress ups and props (things they can use like a tea set in a home corner, soft toys or dolls for 'mummies and daddies', props for playing 'schools'). “You don’t have to go out and spend a fortune on specific role play toys – children will use their imaginations to turn household goods into whatever they need for their role play,” says Sonja.

Providing the time and space for them to do it.

Sonja also encourages parents to put aside 10 minutes a day to take part in such games – or any activities that their child is enjoying. “Ideally it should be child-directed and led, and the parent or carer would provide their undivided attention. It’s amazing the impact that just 10 minutes of this a day can have on a child’s overall development.”